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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25371676">Time Off</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/traipsingexodus/pseuds/traipsingexodus'>traipsingexodus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Homunculus [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, downtime, world building</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 08:01:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25371676</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/traipsingexodus/pseuds/traipsingexodus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Seek me out at next month's end."</p>
<p>And so, the clock is ticking. Daniel, Charles and Evelynn have earned a spot of time off in sunny Ula'ula - and like all vacations, it will be over too soon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Homunculus [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/492748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>"Time Off" occurs after the end of "Honor, Courage and Rectitude" but before the epilogue of the same story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Grab your stuff and get ready to disembark, we're just about to the dock," said a voice from the front of the plane. Apart from him, the plane held only Daniel, Charles and Evelynn, surrounded by their luggage.</p><p>Daniel yawned and stretched. "Thanks, Raul," he called back. "You heard the man." He sorted his luggage out into three small piles. One roller with clothing, two hard cases with gear and one thin case bearing Morrissey's shotgun. He handed one of the hardcases to Charles and the other to Evelynn and then bounced in his chair and seaplane touched down onto the water.</p><p>Once they'd pulled into the dock, Daniel led Charles and Evelynn off the seaplane and gazed at Ula'ula. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the salty sea air. He smiled and turned back to the approaching bisharp and disguised zoroark and said, "Damn shame we're only here a little over a month, huh? At least now I know for certain Ana's been thriving."</p><p>Evelynn stared out at the distant beaches and giggled. "I'm going to break necks out here, I think."</p><p>"Alright, don't go walking around with your tits hanging out," said Daniel, frowning, "Besides, you're spoken for. Tell 'er Charles."</p><p>The bisharp shifted his gaze from Daniel to Eve, and after a long and silent stare, shook his head and mumbled down to the dock below them, suppressing a smile.</p><p>"No use? You're just gonna let her run free?" asked Daniel, grinning. "Well, do what you want then Eve, you heard him."</p><p>"Daniel." Raul stepped over to the three, his hand outstretched. The detective returned the pilot's firm handshake.</p><p>"Thanks for everything, Raul," he said, nodding.</p><p>"Don't mention it," he replied, smiling. "Really, don't. Can't have people knowing I was the one that got you here without these things going through the proper channels." He pointed at the cases they held and winked. "I sent word along to Ana to meet you. She should be waiting by the Aether House by the time you get to it yourself."</p><p>"How far away is that?" asked Daniel.</p><p>"Hm… not too far, but it'll be an annoying one. Had to set you down at Ano's dock, which is about the furthest from the main island itself as you can get." He gestured to the lagoon they sat in. "But it'll raise the fewest questions. Seaplanes land at small little docks like these all day. Speaking of, there's the man himself." He waved at an elderly gentleman leaving his small beachside home a few dozen meters away. The man returned the wave before shuffling over to a chair bearing a fishing pole situated at the water's edge.</p><p>"Lazy old bastard," said Raul, smiling. "Can't say he hasn't earned it though."</p><p>"Veteran?" asked Daniel, frowning.</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>Daniel tapped his foot and stared down at the dock beneath him, lost in thought. "Not a whole lot fucked in the world as far as conflict's concerned."</p><p>"Nothing worth fighting a war proper over anyway. Plenty of room for proxies and deniables though. Retired mercenary."</p><p>"Orre?"</p><p>Raul nodded. "That'd be it. Kept tight-lipped about what he saw too. Mentioned places, never mentioned actions. So definitely not deniable ops."</p><p>"Think I could squeeze anything out of him?" asked Daniel, watching Ano cast his line into the sea.</p><p>"Not without damn near killing him, no. And I don't have you chalked up as the 'beating up grandpas' kind of guy."</p><p>"Not wrong there. Well, thanks again Raul. Why'd you say getting to the Aether House was going to be a bitch, anyway?" asked Daniel.</p><p>"Only way there is to take sets of bridges. Some of 'em are pontoons, some of 'em are just floating logs held together with rope. Hope you've got waterproof boots on."</p><p>"What do you take me for, an amateur?" said Daniel, chuckling.</p><p>"Take you for a lot of things Daniel. And I'm not keen on confirming any of 'em." Raul winked and climbed back into his plane. "Say hi to the missus for me!" he called back.</p><p>The roar of the seaplane's engine as it took off once more faded away behind Daniel and his friends as they set off towards the nearest bridge. As Raul had said, it was a long set of logs floating on the water, tied together with rope.</p><p>"Alolans aren't ones for infrastructure, are they?" asked Eve, looking thoroughly displeased as her disguised feet sank into the water.</p><p>Daniel shrugged. "Why spend money on this shit? Probably wasn't even built by the local gov, just slapped together by locals that wanted to move between the tiny islands in this lagoon without boats." He looked around - most of the micro-islands seemed entirely devoid of human life. "Not like anyone comes out here. Local swimmers and surfers, some fishermen, but tourists? It's just like Lumiose, if the money ain't there, why spend it?"</p><p>"I don't know, quality of life?" asked Eve. She groaned, "Ugh, I'm going to be soaked all the way up to my crotch at the rate this is going."</p><p>"Whoa now, don't rile up Charles."</p><p>"Fuck off, you're not covered in fur. And actually…" She rapped the back of Charles' head with her knuckles. "Neither are you! I bet you're having the time of your life hearing your mate complain about turning into a wet sponge."</p><p>The bisharp bit back laughter, though poorly, and mumbled something to Eve that sounded like a half-hearted apology.</p><p>"Yeah, I bet you're sorry," grumbled Evelynn. They hit another micro-island and began to cross through it. "How many of these do we need to cross?"</p><p>"Probably seven or eight?" guessed Daniel. "Maybe more. Hopefully the bridges are set up to make getting to the mainland quickly."</p><p>They were not.</p><p>An hour's travel later, the three found themselves at an actual, properly built bridge that led them from the largest micro-island to Ula'ula proper. Daniel's eyes were drawn to the enormous sign beside the bridge, proclaiming:</p><p>AETHER FOUNDATION</p><p>RECREATION SITE #3</p><p>"<em>Joy through blooms, community and Aether."</em></p><p>Daniel silently mouthed the words and then rolled his eyes. "Surprised to see shit like this is even still up. Imagined that scandal involving the head of the foundation would've toppled them, but I guess that's asking too much." Beside the bridge were several immaculately clean benches and perfectly placed tropical berry trees. He turned around and properly realized this micro-island was landscaped, featuring small hills that were, without a doubt, perfect locations for picnics. After so much time spent cutting through wild islands, only some of which bore small homes and confused looking natives, he wondered how he'd even let the detail pass him by. <em>The sleepy Alolan breeze, I guess.</em></p><p>He watched a couple ascend up to the top of one of the hills and lay out a blanket and basket, and then laughed out loud. The thought of picnics had become so far removed from his thoughts that even remembering they existed surprised him. He pointed to a nearby hill topped with a swaying palm tree and covered in delicate pink and red blooms. "Found you a date spot, Charles."</p><p>The bisharp rolled his eyes and grumbled a grudging response.</p><p>Evelynn's eyes lit up. "Wait, really?"</p><p>Daniel threw his head back in laughter and turned to cross the bridge. "Guess Alola really does change you, eh? Don't get too complacent out here Charles, you'll rust." He continued along the bridge, his footfalls shifting from hard taps against the concrete walkway to the soft sound of packed dirt underfoot as they finally reached the mainland and began their trek towards the Aether House.</p><p>As they passed by the third huge sign pointing them down along the route towards Aether House, Daniel turned to look at Charles and Eve and said, "You ever know you'd hate an organization even leaving aside everything they've already done?"</p><p>Evelynn cocked her head and frowned. "N-no?"</p><p>"Well, I can't imagine you would come to think, given you're a wild 'ark." He paused and shook his head, sighing. "Gods damn it all, I don't know why I asked."</p><p>"Are these signs really that big a problem?" she asked.</p><p>Charles provided a curt reply.</p><p>"You're godsdamned right they're an eyesore, Charles," said Daniel, nodding. "Pristine nature's in abundance once you're out of just about any major city, but Alola's a world-renowned paradise of a region." He gestured to the sweeping view of beaches and distant isles around them, and then back towards the looming jungles and the soaring peak of Mount Lanakila. "Just look at this place. People that live here know to leave a lot of the island well enough alone."</p><p>"I thought the island guardians were the reason they did that," replied Eve.</p><p>Daniel stopped walking and stared at Eve. "You <em>really</em> know a lot about gods and religious shit, don't you?"</p><p>Evelynn averted her gaze and nodded. "A Johtoan sort of… took care of me? This was before all this, of course," she gestured to her body. "Didn't walk around with big tits and a 'fuck me' gaze." She snickered. "I was still a zorua, so that would've been weird."</p><p>"But now that you're an overgrown bipedal fox that likes hanging tits big enough to beat a man with from her chest, now it's not?" said Daniel.</p><p>"Yes," said Eve, looking proud. Her expression faltered and she shifted to looking thoroughly forlorn. "He taught some kind of backyard class near the edge of Castelia. People that wanted to learn more about Johtoan beliefs as well as beliefs from around the world." She smiled for a moment before her expression became glum once more. "He'd give me food or leave it out if I was busy getting into mischief somewhere else a bit longer than I expected. He knew I was always listening to his classes but he didn't know I was really <em>listening</em>, if that makes sense."</p><p>"Someone put him in the dirt?" asked Daniel.</p><p>Evelynn looked horrified. "No! You've got even less tact than Charles!"</p><p>"That's a surprise. Darty always told me I mince words more than he does," said Daniel, rubbing his chin.</p><p>The zoroark groaned. "He didn't die. Worse. He just disappeared. Didn't mention it. Just… one day he told the class he'd see them tomorrow, and then the next day…" She shrugged. "Nothing. People kept showing up for a little while and then eventually some police came by - but that was it. Never saw him again."</p><p>"And that's why you know so much shit about the gods and spirits, eh?"</p><p>"Yeah. That and I did some more research of my own once I got good enough at pretending," said Eve.</p><p>"That's… a bit alarming. How many zoroark do that?" he asked.</p><p>"What, pretend to be you? Blend into your human world and you never know?" asked Evelynn.</p><p>Daniel nodded.</p><p>"Damn near all of them."</p><p>"What."</p><p>"You heard me. Just about all of them. Our kind is largely urban. What choice do we have?" she asked.</p><p>"I dunno, the same ones someone like Charles has?" said Daniel.</p><p>The bisharp interjected with a short reply, pointing from Eve to himself, then to Daniel and then chopping horizontally through the air.</p><p>"I don't follow," said the detective, shaking his head.</p><p>"Most of us know enough to stick to the fringes. We use this to our advantage." She gestured to her body. "But believe me, most of the time we look like how we're supposed to."</p><p>"Seems like unnecessary complication," said Daniel.</p><p>"It's not. It gives us the best shot at food, finding companionship, working our way into the lives of people who'll care for us and that we can care about." She shrugged. "And I mean, makes it pretty easy to find dick."</p><p>Daniel stared at her.</p><p>"I'm half-kidding. But, it's a pretty good deal if you're willing to put up with how wrong it feels."</p><p>"Not a fan of looking human?"</p><p>"Not really. Don't like looking like one or speaking like one. People don't like it when you pretend and they find out. So this all becomes very intertwined with just generally feeling kind of anxious." She sighed and closed her eyes. The illusion around her melted away, leaving her scarred and discolored form in its wake. She looked at Daniel and Charles meaningfully for a moment before the illusion came back up and she was her usual, attractive form once more. "I might not like how I really look, but I'm much more at peace with it than this. Around you guys anyway." She brought her hands up under her breasts and jiggled them. "This is about as much fun as I can get out of it."</p><p>"Explains a lot."</p><p>"And I guess I'm a horny cunt, whatever. Aren't we supposed to be meeting someone?" insisted Eve.</p><p>The three continued their walk in silence for a short while before Daniel looked over at Eve and said, still walking, "Hey."</p><p>"Hm?" she said, looking at him.</p><p>"Drop the front. We're basically on vacation for the next month or so." He paused. "But drop the front <em>all the way</em>."</p><p>Evelynn's expression became incredibly uncomfortable. "I know I said I was okay with it around you two but- but that doesn't mean I <em>like</em> it."</p><p>"I've got an abstract painting carved on my chest and stomach and I'm still gonna head to the beach. I've got a puncture wound the width of a baton in my back and nicks and scratches all on my legs. It's a wonder Ana opened her legs even once, let alone multiple times."</p><p>"You've got a real way with words, even about your mate."</p><p>"I'm trying to make a point here. Shift back when you need to talk to us. But you should at least be at peace when you're vacationing."</p><p>Evelynn sighed. "People are looking."</p><p>"People are gonna be looking 'til the day you die. Fuck 'em. They don't like it, they can find somewhere else to look. Worked out great for Jo, didn't it? He fucks gardevoir."</p><p>Charles chuckled and grunted out a single word.</p><p>"Okay he fucks <em>a</em> gardevoir, but the point still stands," admitted Daniel.</p><p>"We're going to meet your mate, what kind of a first impression is that going to make on her?" said Eve.</p><p>"It's hard to make a bad first impression with Ana. You have to be an actual asshole to manage that and even then she might chalk it up to you having a bad day. Besides, she can probably see past your illusions or some crazy shit, I dunno, I never really asked her about every single last thing she can do with her ghost powers. Shit goes over my head," explained Daniel.</p><p>"Aren't you a detective?" asked Eve.</p><p>"Yeah, but that just means I'm good at figuring shit out and putting holes in people. Or was 'understanding the occult' part of the job requirement?"</p><p>"Charles said that your last job-"</p><p>"My last job put me so out of my element that my best friend was killed," said Daniel quietly. "The shit we did to Morrissey's gang was much more my speed. I could see Morrissey. I can understand insanity. I can find a suicune. Find, neutralize, retrieve. That was routine back in Lumiose. The shit with Agilrad… That's not routine."</p><p>Evelynn lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"Don't be, it wasn't your fault." Daniel looked ahead and grinned. "Either way, drop the front, because Ana's right over there." He hurried over to his girlfriend.</p><p>Ana was standing in front of the looming Aether House, staring at Daniel, dumbstruck. As he pulled her into an embrace, he heard her mumble, "H-he didn't s-say…" Ana clutched at the shirt on Daniel's back and buried her face into the crook of his neck and began to cry.</p><p>"Take it easy with the weeping there," said Daniel in her ear. He pulled her away from his neck and lifted her chin to wipe tears away from her brilliantly red face and bloodshot eyes. "I'm back. And the swirls are still gone" He pointed to her irises.</p><p>And grabbed hold of Daniel's head and kissed him. "Y-yes," she breathed, "Y-you are. Thank the g-gods."</p><p>"Where are Jean and Darty?" asked Daniel, looking past Ana briefly. "Thought they'd come along."</p><p>"They w-waited back at th-the house. I thought R-Raul was going to d-deliver me a package or s-something…"</p><p>"I mean, he kinda did," reasoned Daniel.</p><p>Ana gave him a watery chuckle. "I'm s-so g-glad you're b-back," she mumbled. She pulled him into another embrace. "I l-love you."</p><p>Daniel grinned. "Love you too."</p><p>"Oh. Wh-who's th-this?" she asked, letting go of Daniel and walking over to Eve.</p><p>"Evelynn," replied Daniel.</p><p>The zoroark stood beside Charles, her scarred and discolored form on display, and nodded.</p><p>Ana smiled and said, "Pleased t-to meet y-you." She held her hand out towards Eve, who took it somewhat awkwardly and shook it.</p><p>She let go and turned to give Charles a gleeful hug when Daniel said, "Don't think I'd be here in one piece, relatively bullet-free if it wasn't for her."</p><p>Ana's face lit up. "R-really?"</p><p>"Yup. Made us invisible and even took a bullet at one point, so I think I owe her quite a bit."</p><p>Ana gasped. "Y-you took a b-bullet?" she asked.</p><p>Evelynn looked awkwardly from Ana to Daniel and then back and nodded. At this Ana drew the zoroark into a tight hug. "Th-thank you for k-keeping D-Daniel safe!"</p><p>The expression on Eve's face made it very clear to Daniel that she had not expected this, and it was with enormous bemusement that the zoroark patted Ana on the back in a feeble sort of way.</p><p>"You're <em>v-very</em> s-soft," remarked Ana, pulling away. She pulled a lock of hair from Eve's long mane and rubbed it between her fingers. "Th-that's impressive for s-someone who l-looks so w-well traveled."</p><p>Evelynn transformed into her typical human form at this and said, half-laughing, "Excuse me, did you call my appearance <em>well-traveled</em>?"</p><p>Ana clasped her hands together and smiled. "Oh! Y-you can s-speak to h-humans. And y-yes, I d-did. Why?"</p><p>"That how you'd describe him, then?" asked Eve, pointing at Daniel.</p><p>The hex maniac nodded vigorously. "Y-yes! D-Daniel has s-seen a l-lot in this w-world."</p><p>"That's a good way to put it. Kinda rolls past the horror of a lot of it," said Eve.</p><p>Daniel shrugged. "Sometimes that's all you can really do." He pointed to Ana. "Just look at her. Same thing. Why do you think she stutters?"</p><p>Eve stared.</p><p>"Much like the <em>three </em>of us have seen a lot in this world," said Daniel, giving Charles a swift nod, "Ana's seen way too much of the next."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel tossed in bed and grumbled as a ray of light filtered between the curtains and hit him square in the face. He rolled over and breathed in a scent he only vaguely remembered in the twilit space between sleep and consciousness. His eyes opened and came face to face with Ana's mess of wavy black hair. The light of the early morning sun betrayed strands of purple, shining brightly against the dense, black locks. They would never return to their original black, much like the rims of her irises.</p>
<p>He rubbed his eyes and mumbled, "Finally wasn't a fuckin' dream…" He yawned and heaved himself out of bed, scratching his badly scarred stomach absently as his thoughts drifted to the toilet and breakfast.</p>
<p>As he stepped out of the bathroom after finishing his business, he turned his attention towards Ana's sleeping form and muttered, "Any ideas for breakfast?"</p>
<p>She stirred, rolling about to face the source of the noise, and her eyes fluttered open. Confused, she glanced around the room blearily, and after a moment, her gaze focused on Daniel and she yawned widely. "Wh-what? Wh-why are you a-awake, Daniel?"</p>
<p>The detective frowned. "What? It's…" He looked at the digital clock sitting on Ana's bedside table. "Six am."</p>
<p>Ana yawned again. "I don't w-wake up until a-around 8." She sat up and rubbed her eyes, then shook her head, sending her wild mane of hair dancing in the air. As it settled around her and partially covered her face she asked, "D-Do you always w-wake up at 6?"</p>
<p>"Sunrise." He laughed. "Guess I don't need to anymore, huh?"</p>
<p>The hexer nodded. "S-Sleepy Alola."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm up, so I'm gonna make some coffee. Always sucked at going back to sleep after I wake up." He threw open a dresser drawer and removed a pair of underwear to put on. "You <em>do</em> have coffee right?" He threw her a half-pleading look.</p>
<p>Ana shook her head and got out of bed and walked over to Daniel, pausing to kiss his cheek before rummaging about for underwear of her own. "Only t-tea. I d-don't really l-like coffee… S-Sorry."</p>
<p>"Guess I'll need to get some then. What kind of tea?" asked Daniel, now pulling on a pair of shorts.</p>
<p>"Um… some k-kind of l-local tea blend. I f-forget the n-name," replied Ana, adjusting the straps on her bra before pulling a light sundress out of a drawer and holding it up to consider it.</p>
<p>"It'll do," said Daniel, sighing. He glanced at the sundress. "That too." Ana gave him a smile. "I'll go get the kettle on then." He strode out of the room.</p>
<p>Ana jumped at the sharp pinch on her backside and called after Daniel, "Y-you're lucky I m-missed you d-doing th-that to me!"</p>
<p>Daniel passed through the living room on his way to the kitchen and found Charles asleep upright on the couch, his head tilted forward onto his chest. Evelynn was slumped along the rest of the length of the couch. She had pressed a pillow up against Charles' leg and laid her head upon it and wrapped her body in her huge mane of hair. Both of her paws were clasped together and after closer inspection, Daniel realized they were both clutching one of Charles' gauntleted hands.</p>
<p>The detective smirked and then gave a start when he saw Charles raise his head and yawn, then meet his gaze. The bisharp gave him a swift nod and then looked down at Eve meaningfully before looking back up at his friend.</p>
<p>"Just don't let me catch you fucking," said Daniel. Charles furrowed his brow. "I mean, Ana and I have enough class to close the door, you know?"</p>
<p>The bisharp rolled his eyes and then waved Daniel off.</p>
<p>Once in the kitchen, Daniel set about rummaging through the cupboards for tea. Though he'd succeeded in finding bread, cereal, flour, and a variety of other baking materials, a box with tea was nowhere to be found. He grumbled with frustration and felt the hairs on his neck prickle as a voice said, "Are you well, or has something eluded you?"</p>
<p>The detective turned to look at d'Artagnan and replied, "Can't find the tea. Any idea where it is?"</p>
<p>The xatu scanned the kitchen before saying, "I believe Ana stores it in that container on the table, alongside sugar and other mix-ins." Behind the bird, a puppet materialized in the air and Jean sat down on his head with a giggle.</p>
<p>The rush of whispers, shrieks and disembodied gusts that slipped from her zippered mouth were incomprehensible to Daniel, but the bird the banette sat upon clicked his beak in a somewhat annoyed manner and replied, "As amusing as you may find that, I doubt Daniel is in much a mood to be sent off on a futile hunt." The banette pouted and flicked the xatu's beak before giggling and drifting away in the direction of Daniel's bedroom.</p>
<p>"At least she doesn't hate me anymore," said Daniel, shrugging. He opened the ceramic container on the kitchen table and found it partitioned into sugar, plastic sticks of honey and loose tea.</p>
<p>"She never hated you," offered d'Artagnan, perching atop the back of one of the chairs. Daniel saw the piece of furniture tip backwards, but a purple aura surrounded it and it lurched forward again with a soft tap. "She simply blamed you for Ana's worsening condition." The xatu paused and then clicked his beak. "Blame that was largely incorrectly assigned."</p>
<p>"I tried telling her that."</p>
<p>"And she always believed you, she simply tried not to. After all, what you're willing to do for Ana is written all over your torso."</p>
<p>Daniel ran his hands across his bare chest, his fingers finding the various bumps of the numerous scars that adorned it. He scowled, "So the bitch was just being difficult."</p>
<p>"As I understand it, the two of you came to an agreement in Lumiose. Of sorts."</p>
<p>The detective nodded. "Yeah, I guess we did." He regarded d'Artagnan with a pensive eye. "You stopped calling us all by our titles."</p>
<p>"There is no need. The threat is dead and buried, and so is the need for such titles."</p>
<p>"It's just been a very long time since-" Daniel caught himself and busied himself instead with tea. "Glad you're not speaking like a cryptic fuck anymore."</p>
<p>Whether he'd stirred up painful memories or not, he could not tell, as the xatu's body language remained impassive.</p>
<p>"What kind of tea is this?" asked Daniel.</p>
<p>"A local variety. The leaves are grown here on the island, and various small dehydrated berries are mixed in with them. A pleasant brew, but I'm rather more fond of black teas."</p>
<p>"B-black tea makes me j-jittery," said Ana, walking into the room. She clutched Jean in her arms, holding her close to her chest.</p>
<p>The xatu chortled. "It would be difficult to tell."</p>
<p>Ana pouted and shook Jean once when she joined in. "J-just because it's t-true doesn't mean y-you can s-say that."</p>
<p>"Do you mind fixing the tea?" asked Daniel. "I'd do it but I don't think I've got the touch for this." He turned his calloused hands over several times for effect.</p>
<p>Ana brushed past him, stopping briefly to caress his face. "Wh-what if w-we put i-it in a sq-squirt gun?" She smiled and then turned her attention to the kettle.</p>
<p>Daniel sat down, chuckling in spite of himself. "I mean, hey, if that's how you want to have your tea." He nodded at Charles as the bisharp walked into the kitchen and sat himself down in the chair d'Artagnan was perched on.</p>
<p>He mumbled something incomprehensible and then chuckled when the xatu kicked the back of his head, laughing as well.</p>
<p>"Alright, explain the joke," said Daniel. He kissed Ana's arm as she set down a mug of tea in front of him.</p>
<p>Evelynn sat down next to Charles, disguised as a human wearing a shirt so oversized that she'd be indecent if she leaned forward more than a fraction. "Charles said he's gonna miss the break from d'Artagnan's long-winded conversations now that he's back."</p>
<p>Daniel nodded. "Thanks. But helpful as that was, put your tits back in."</p>
<p>The disguised zoroark pouted. "You're such a prude."</p>
<p>"They're not even real."</p>
<p>"Then what's the problem?"</p>
<p>"Eve." Daniel gave her a pointed stare.</p>
<p>To his right, Ana set her mug down and added, "Was th-this… c-common?"</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, yes."</p>
<p>Ana gave Evelynn a radiant smile. "S-sorry, h-he's happily t-taken." She paused and frowned, tapping her chin. "S-so is J-Jo, come to th-think."</p>
<p>Evelynn's form dissolved into a more decently dressed version of her usual human shape. "So am I." She reached out and pushed Charles's face aside. "Isn't that right?"</p>
<p>The bisharp rolled his eyes and instead stood up to walk over to the pantry and raid it for pastries.</p>
<p>"Gods, you <em>are</em> a shitty mate."</p>
<p>Daniel stared down into his tea for a moment before furrowing his brow and looking up to the rest of the table. "This is really fucking weird."</p>
<p>"Wh-what's w-wrong, Daniel?" asked Ana, looking concerned.</p>
<p>"Nothin'. And that's just about the weirdest thing about it. Been a long time since I could answer that question like that." He took a sip from his tea. "Not bad."</p>
<p>"You'll g-get used t-to it," said Ana, smiling. She glanced past Daniel and added, "Th-they're in the b-box on the th-third shelf."</p>
<p>Charles glanced over his shoulder and gave Ana a thumbs up before returning to the table clutching two handfuls of wrapped pastries. Daniel watched the bisharp sit down and tear into the pastries before remarking, "Didn't bring any to share with the rest of us, huh?"</p>
<p>The bisharp stopped mid-bite and gave his friend an embarrassed grin and a shake of his head.</p>
<p>"Ah well, not often we get to indulge like this, yeah?" The detective took another sip of his tea before adding, "So what's lined up for us today, Ana?"</p>
<p>Ana tilted her head and furrowed her brow before finally shrugging. "Nothing is l-lined up t-today, Daniel. That's m-most d-days here. We h-have enough t-to l-live on for a wh-while. Th-thanks to…" She paused and glanced towards d'Artagnan before lowering her head and mumbling, "Well y-you know."</p>
<p>The detective nodded and took another sip from his tea. "Right." He finished his drink and then stood. "If that's the case, might as well go and buy some coffee." He strode out of the kitchen and back to his bedroom to retrieve his shirt, jacket, and shoes before returning and asking the room, "Anyone wanna come along?"</p>
<p>Charles jerked his thumb back at d'Artagnan which made it clear to Daniel the two had more catching up to do. Jean shook her head once from over Ana's arms, who smiled and stammered out an interest in clearing up. To his surprise, however, Evelynn stood and stretched, transforming herself into a bikini-clad redhead. "I'll come along."</p>
<p>Daniel nodded once and said curtly, "You mind not spilling out?" He pointed at her enormous breasts. The disguised zoroark pouted and assumed a more modest form, complete with a floral beach skirt tied around her waist. "Much better."</p>
<p>"D-Daniel?" asked Ana.</p>
<p>"What's up?"</p>
<p>"What's i-in y-your jacket?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.</p>
<p>"The usual?"</p>
<p>"D-Daniel…" She frowned. "P-Put them a-away."</p>
<p>Daniel pulled his pistol free and flipped it over once to show the engaged safety to Ana. "Safety's on dear, don't worry so much."</p>
<p>"You're o-on a p-peaceful island g-getaway!" she stammered, exasperated.</p>
<p>"And peaceful island getaways don't have kidnappings or murders?"</p>
<p>"D-Daniel Winters! Be r-reasonable!"</p>
<p>He tucked the pistol away and shook his head, an amused grin on his face. "I <em>am</em> being reasonable." He pulled his knife free from the small of his back and set it down on the table. "I'll leave the knife at least. Is that fair?"</p>
<p>"Yeah honey, I won't take the thing that makes people next to me dead, just the thing that makes people far away from me dead. And next to me in a pinch," supplied Evelynn, her tone dripping in sarcasm.</p>
<p>Ana let out a long sigh and shook her head, sending her hair dancing about far more than the movement should have allowed. "A-Alright… Just d-don't get t-tangled up in a-anything. P-Please?"</p>
<p>Daniel's grin faded and his shoulders slumped. "You know I don't choose to get tangled up in anything." He managed a small smile and added, "But yeah, I won't. Let's get going, Eve."</p>
<p>The zoroark fell in behind him as he turned about and left, stepping outside into the shining Alolan sun. "You know I didn't expect this weather to be this pleasant. Always figured it'd be a humid hellhole."</p>
<p>"So strapped for interesting shit to say when you're not killing people that you go to weather, huh?" replied Eve.</p>
<p>"I'm going somewhere with it. You ever been to Orre?" asked Daniel.</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"Place sucks. Unova beats it ten times out of ten, and the dry fucking heat is probably second on the list as to why its worse."</p>
<p>"What makes it first?"</p>
<p>"Orre has a major criminal element running the region."</p>
<p>"That's only been not true in Unova since like… a week ago. And that's thanks to <em>you</em>."</p>
<p>"Yeah well, that's why it's ten times out of ten. Used to be nine times."</p>
<p>"Ha ha." In spite of her sarcasm, Evelynn grinned. "I can see where Charlie gets the dryness from."</p>
<p>"I dunno, Ana told me I wasn't nearly so dry until Charles evolved." Daniel whistled loudly and an orange mass of fur stood up from the overgrown grass in front of the house. "Get over here arcanine, we're going for a walk!"</p>
<p>With a loud and happy bark, the dog rushed over to Daniel and nearly knocked him over as he jumped up to lick his face.</p>
<p>"Alright, alright. Take it easy," laughed Daniel, ruffling the mane of hair atop the canine's head. "Eve, meet arcanine. Or uh…" He paused and frowned. "About time you got a name for yourself, eh?"</p>
<p>The pokemon stepped back and barked twice.</p>
<p>"Hmm, alright. Tai sounds good. Whatcha think?"</p>
<p>The arcanine barked again and jumped up to lick Daniel's face once more. "Alright, alright. Point made. Fall in, and don't go chasing distractions, alright?" The dog complied and stuck close to Daniel as he gestured for Evelynn to follow him and the three made their way into town.</p>
<p>As their surroundings shifted from the homes that peppered the interior of Ula'ula to pristine wilderness marred only by the long cement path beneath their feet, Evelynn looked to Daniel and said, "So why did you pick this to be your line of work?"</p>
<p>"What do you mean by 'this'?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Like...shooting people. Or stabbing them I guess. Just generally doing bad things for what I imagine you believe are good reasons."</p>
<p>Daniel furrowed his brow. "I don't know why Jo likes researching pokemon behavior so much. They're all philosophers." Evelynn frowned and Daniel added reluctantly, "I've had a lot of practice already. Being a detective, if you can call me that, came pretty naturally after some hard years on the streets. Morrissey never liked I was so perceptive, come to think." He grinned. "But fuck him, 'cos I'm here and he's just bones in a forest now."</p>
<p>"Is it that simple?"</p>
<p>"What, me being a detective?"</p>
<p>"I mean, was what we had to do back in Unova detective work?"</p>
<p>"We had to find and recover Suicune, sounds like detective work to me."</p>
<p>"I just didn't think detectives spent so much time filling people full of holes."</p>
<p>"Well Eve, if you'd been around in Kalos you'd know that punching new holes in people was something I only had to do now and again. Most of the time it was enough to flash a knife or land a good punch to the nose." Daniel scratched behind Tai's ear, earning him a yip from the arcanine, and added, "Or I'd just have Tai or Charles with me. That helped. What's got you so interested?"</p>
<p>"I've had a lot of time to reflect on everything that happened in Unova. Was Charles <em>never </em>against anything you asked him to do?"</p>
<p>"Just because you wanna do whatever the hell it is you're going to do with Charles when I'm not looking doesn't mean that he's whatever you picture him to be. He's not exactly what you'd call 'clean'. Had to help me out with a lot of wetwork. He just didn't have an issue with it because we were killing other gang members."</p>
<p>"So has he ever turned anything down?" asked Eve, her tone almost pleading.</p>
<p>Daniel stared a long while at the zoroark in silence, his eyebrow raised. "You're awful keen on Charles being some unblemished blade, aren't you?"</p>
<p>"Daniel…"</p>
<p>"He only ever had to turn something down once, and that was fine because I didn't need him for it anyway. So, yeah, he never had to kill anyone that wasn't some lowlife that didn't deserve the air he sucked down. He wouldn't have anyway. Judging from how he acted in Morrissey's reserve, he's always had some code of honor. I just never crossed it."</p>
<p>"What about you?"</p>
<p>The detective shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. "No."</p>
<p>"You just said you had a job he turned down!"</p>
<p>"Doesn't mean <em>I</em> had to kill anyone."</p>
<p>"I don't believe you."</p>
<p>"Then don't." He pointed past Evelynn. "We're almost to the town center. Need anything while we're here?" At this, Tai let out several loud, happy barks and set off into town at top speed. "Gods damn it, Tai! Get back here! You son of a bitch, I said not to get distracted!" Daniel set off after him, leaving Eve to catch up behind him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Daniel reclined against the wall of the convenience store and tapped his cigarette once to loosen the ash from it. The shade was a welcome reprieve from the slowly strengthening sun that shone down on them. All around him, the pleasant, distant sound of the shore tickled his ears. "You're a motherfucker to catch Tai, you know that?"</p>
<p>The arcanine looked up from his dish of water and whined then wagged his tail in a sheepish sort of way.</p>
<p>The detective laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm not mad, I just wish you'd actually fuckin' listen once in a while." He blew a plume of smoke out in front of him, right into the path of a young beachgoer that promptly wrinkled her nose and waved the offending smoke away.</p>
<p>"Watch where you're blowing that stuff!" she shouted.</p>
<p>"Watch where you're walking," said Daniel, smiling, "Not like the smoke cloud attacked you."</p>
<p>She stuck her tongue out at Daniel and stomped away.</p>
<p>Evelynn took a bite from her frozen leppa bar and then turned to Daniel and said, "Hey, can I try one of those?"</p>
<p>"I dunno, you old enough?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Bad joke. Yeah, sure, I guess." He held the pack of Tapu Bulu-branded cigarettes out for Eve to clumsily pluck one from and then place in her mouth. Daniel pulled the chandelure-shaped lighter Ana gave him from his pocket and lit the stick for the disguised zoroark, then put it away and took another drag from his own. "Take it easy on your first puff, these aren't exactly what you'd call a beginner's cig. Pretty damn good though, didn't expect island blends to be tasty."</p>
<p>Evelynn immediately began coughing, smoke partially obscuring her form before she waved the haze away, shaking her head all the while. "This is <em>awful</em>. Why the hell do you smoke these things?"</p>
<p>"Iunno, I like 'em. Just a thing I picked up. Should probably kick the habit some time, can't imagine Ana is too fond of it."</p>
<p>Still coughing, Evelynn handed the lit cigarette back to Daniel, who promptly extinguished it against the wall behind him, checked it over for any lingering embers and then put it away again. "You don't really smell like cigarettes though. Nor does any of your clothing."</p>
<p>"Are you smelling my clothes?"</p>
<p>The zoroark rolled her eyes and pointed where her undisguised nose would be.</p>
<p>"Right. And no, I don't because I don't smoke much. Shit like this is usually...well, I don't think you could call shit that kills you a treat, but I mean, close enough."</p>
<p>Eve resumed eating her popsicle pausing long enough to say, "So what are we getting? Just coffee?"</p>
<p>Daniel nodded. "And anything else that catches the eye I guess." He gestured to a small grocer across the sunny street, bearing a large set of fruit stands and a small crowd of people inspecting the day's selection.</p>
<p>"This frozen leppa bar is really good," said Eve, smiling down at the half-eaten treat.</p>
<p>"About the weirdest thing I've heard in some time."</p>
<p>"What, that an ice pop is good?"</p>
<p>"I mean, a disguised zoroark telling me a frozen leppa bar is good on an island so far from my home region it might as well be another planet? While a short walk away my girlfriend is probably having a cup of tea and halfway across the world the bastard that made a lot of lives miserable is slowly turning to dust? Yeah. Hearing an ice pop is good is so fuckin' mundane I nearly forgot that life isn't all firefights, plate carriers and wandering around poorly lit streets hearing someone try their best to knock up an eevee."</p>
<p>"Excuse me?" The voice was completely foreign to Daniel, and so he looked away from Evelynn and saw a middle-aged man staring at him in disbelief.</p>
<p>"You heard me. They make a god awful noise when they're getting railed too, I don't fucking know why anyone wants to fuck them."</p>
<p>The man recoiled in disgust and walked quickly away.</p>
<p>"Jack off." Daniel took another drag from his cigarette and then said, "You ready?"</p>
<p>Evelynn finished her ice pop and nodded. "Yeah."</p>
<p>Daniel whistled as he set across the street, and Tai rushed to his side while Evelynn walked beside him. He gestured once to the arcanine before they entered the store, who sat immediately and whined. "You're huge, you won't even fit between the shelves. Besides, I think you'll have company." He pointed to a small crowd of children that were eyeing the dog with wide-eyes and expectant faces. "You can pet him," added Daniel, looking up at them, "Just make sure your hands are clean, yeah? I hate washing his fur."</p>
<p>The children immediately ran up to arcanine and began to run their hands through Tai's thick mane of hair, while several others scratched his belly when he rolled over.</p>
<p>The detective followed Evelynn into the store and caught the attention of a nearby clerk, a young and very tanned woman who wore her long hair in a tight bun. "Where's your coffee?" He glanced around the store. The aisles were tightly packed together, and every shelf seemed to be almost overflowing with product. Beside him, a large barrel filled to the brim with fresh assorted berries called invitingly to anyone that entered.</p>
<p>"Towards the back. Got a few shelves dedicated to it." Daniel noticed the clerk had become distracted for a moment, but found nothing when he traced where her eyes were staring.</p>
<p>"Any recommendations?"</p>
<p>She grimaced and snapped her attention back to him. "Uhhh, people really go wild for the stuff we get in from Poni?"</p>
<p>"Any idea why or are you already at your limit for coffee knowledge?"</p>
<p>The woman hung her head. "Sorry."</p>
<p>Daniel nodded and walked to the back of the store, pausing when he saw Eve as staring at a cylinder in her hand. "What's that?"</p>
<p>"Tapu Cocoa."</p>
<p>"Sounds good."</p>
<p>"Sounds sacrilegious."</p>
<p>"It's cocoa."</p>
<p>"It's cocoa named after one of the deities here."</p>
<p>"My cigs are too."</p>
<p>"Humans are <em>awful</em>."</p>
<p>He shrugged and continued towards the back of the store, walking back and forth between the various narrow aisles before finally catching the familiar shape of coffee bean pouches. He picked them up each in turn, smelling them and reading the labels before finally settling on a bag that was nearly out of stock, the beans that came from Poni.</p>
<p>"Well, I'm either in for good coffee or a reminder that tourist traps are more than places," he mumbled. He felt someone walk up beside him and so he added, "You ready?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," replied Eve. Daniel turned to look at her and saw that she was clutching a large cylindrical tin of Tapu Cocoa.</p>
<p>"I thought that was blasphemous."</p>
<p>"It's supposed to be really good. I asked."</p>
<p>"And that's all you need to forgive it?"</p>
<p>"I'll make an exception."</p>
<p>"Like fuck you will, you'd probably do the same thing if the clerk told you Tapu Lele Tea was good."</p>
<p>"They have that too." She held up a box of tea bags bearing the stylized image of Akala's guardian. "And it's also supposed to be really good."</p>
<p>"What good is the point in pointing out shit is irreverent if you're just gonna buy the shit anyway?"</p>
<p>"I didn't make it, so what do I care?"</p>
<p>Daniel shook his head and gestured to the front of the store. "Whatever, let's go pay."</p>
<p>"Can you cover this?"</p>
<p>"What? Yeah, I have to. Not like you have money."</p>
<p>"I mean I could try paying the clerk with a show…"</p>
<p>"Would she even-"</p>
<p>"She was giving me the eyes pretty hard. All I really need to do is…" Evelynn's breasts grew substantially in size and she tugged at the straps of her bikini. "One oops and we get free groceries."</p>
<p>Daniel stared at the disguised zoroark and then handed her the bag of coffee beans. "Fine. Go work your magic."</p>
<p>Eve's eyes lit up. "Wait, really?"</p>
<p>"Either we get free groceries or you end up in the clink for a night, win-win in my book."</p>
<p>The zoroark pouted and turned about. "Just you wait."</p>
<p>Several minutes later, a very happy and significantly fluffier Tai in tow, Daniel and Evelynn set off to return home. The detective shook his head at the smug zoroark beside him. "You nearly killed that woman."</p>
<p>"But it worked."</p>
<p>"Whatever."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The warm light of the setting sun on the horizon did strange things to the purple accents of Ana's hair. Daniel ran his fingers through a lock of it, seeing the purplish strands glitter in the orange glow, then let go of the lock and faced back towards the ocean. The horizon was now a gradually shifting array of purples, blues, oranges and yellows.. He leaned back in his beach chair and let out a long breath through his nose.</p>
<p>"S-something wrong, D-Daniel?" stuttered Ana.</p>
<p>"Nothin', nothin'. Sigh of relief more than anything I'd say. Eve and her fixation on public indecency aside, it's been a smooth, quiet day." He pulled the bottle beside him out of the sand and took a sip of a drink alive with more coconut, sugar and pinap berries than alcohol. He swirled the electric blue drink in the glass once and then killed the rest of the drink. "And this is the fruitiest fucking thing I've drunk in my life."</p>
<p>"You d-don't need to s-swear, you know," said Ana, chastising him lightly. She reached out and cupped his face for a moment, smiling.</p>
<p>"Habit at this point, you know that." He smiled and shook his head. "Probably not worth breaking them any time soon either. Then again, maybe suicune just wants to give me a bottle of fancy blessed water or some shit. Who knows."</p>
<p>Ana nodded glumly. "A-Are you s-sure you d-don't want me t-to go w-with you?"</p>
<p>"Not much reason for it. Like I said, it's gonna be an in and out thing. Probably a lead on what to do with that weird crystal we found, more than anything, and if this crystal hasn't killed us all yet then I can't imagine it's what you'd call <em>pressing.</em>"</p>
<p>"I u-understand."</p>
<p>"I won't say no to you doing some globetrotting with me once I know what the fuck that overgrown dog wanted, don't worry." He grinned at his girlfriend. "So long as it's low intensity shit, anyway. Can't you have you eatin' lead for me."</p>
<p>The hex maniac stood and went to sit down in Daniel's lap, throwing her arms around his neck in the process. The combined weight of the two sent the beach chair sinking immediately into the sand, down to the seat. The two laughed, and Ana laid her head on her lover's shoulder. "I cer-certainly hope i-it is."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I'm sure everyone would be pretty happy for that. 'Cept maybe Charles, but he's got the same enthusiasm for everything in the end unless it's a liechi berry tart." He laughed. "And maybe Evelynn at some point. Certainly seems to <em>tolerate</em> her at least."</p>
<p>"Evelynn s-seems like a v-very n-nice zoroark," said Ana, "I th-think Charles likes h-her much m-more than you g-give him cr-credit for."</p>
<p>"Yeah you're right. Weirdest fox I've ever met, but she had our backs the entire time we were out there chasing down Morrissey and suicune." Daniel frowned. "She asks way too many questions though."</p>
<p>"What a-about?" asked Ana. She tilted her head and then added before Daniel could reply, "A-About you, r-right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>"Mmm. I f-figured as m-much." She sighed and kissed his forehead. "You h-have lived a… r-rather unusual l-life. Don't t-take her j-judgments too h-harshly."</p>
<p>"She didn't really judge me all that badly. Wasn't too pleased to find out I'd been knee-deep in shit before, but far as I can tell it didn't go beyond that." He shrugged. "Who knows really. I don't need her approval on what I used to do, just whatever we end up doing in the future."</p>
<p>"Do y-you plan on c-catching her?"</p>
<p>"No. I don't think she'd be too happy with that."</p>
<p>"What m-makes you s-say that?"</p>
<p>"Call it a feeling I guess."</p>
<p>Ana stood and gave Daniel a small smile. "We sh-should go get d-dinner r-ready, it's getting l-late."</p>
<p>The detective nodded. "Let me just get this chair dug outta the ground. Fuckin' thing sunk all the way down."</p>
<p>"At l-least the ch-chair didn't b-break," reasoned Ana.</p>
<p>"Yeah, ass like that you'd think it would have," he replied, throwing her a smirk.</p>
<p>"Daniel!" said Ana, avoiding his gaze, clearly embarrassed.</p>
<p>"Chastise me when we're not in public."</p>
<p>"Daniel!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>Daniel took a drag from his cigarette and killed the engine of the car. "How'd Morrissey want this done?" he asked the man sitting to his right.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sulley was enormous. Broad-shouldered, broad-chested, and probably a steel-type pretending at being human. A huge and cruel scar ran down his right cheek that made his mouth appear lopsided. His thick Galarian accent - though Daniel had no idea where specifically in Galar it came from - was all that kept him from feeling intimidated by the enormous hulk of a man. That and the fact that bullets probably still worked on him just fine. "Far as I know, crazy ol' bastard still finkin' we's gonna do this the way he always does his own hits." He raised a sheathed knife and then tossed it on the dashboard with a scoff. "Fuckin' lunatic he is. Man knows a fing or two about runnin' shit like this, I won't ever act like he don't, but I'll be cold, dead 'n buried 'fore I walk into a job like this without sumfink says: 'ello there guv, I'm finkin' you best keep them hands held high while we get the tarp and chair out."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>At this, Sulley pulled a pistol that seemed almost comically small in his huge hands and got out of the car. "You gettin' out or what, then?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Daniel killed his cigarette and tossed the butt aside, pulling his own pistol free and retrieving a jerry can from the backseat. "Yeah, yeah." He looked at the building ahead of them. A small structure, made of locally sourced desert stone bearing an attached unit made of steel with a single shuttered window. There were no fences, no guards, and after Sulley let his rotom free of its ball and it zipped about the premises, no electronic security measures. "Awful sure of his safety out here, isn't he?"</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>You fink? Lives out in the ass end of Orre. Last person he 'ad over probably choked on his cock for an hour and went 'ome." Sulley took a swig from his canteen and then sighed. "Roight, we's best be gettin' a move on." He set off towards the home.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Daniel caught up to him and mumbled, "This guy need to die? Figured we could just torch the shipment, blow the building and leave him by a payphone."</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Guv knows 'ow to make 'em. No point leavin' 'im alive if he's just gonna start up again, yeah?"</em></p>
<p>
  <em>With a sigh, Daniel pulled on latex gloves, a balaclava, and tucked his pants into his boots and his shirt into his waistband. He brought his pistol to bear. "Well, you deal with him then. I'll torch the shit and take care of any security. Brought arcanine along. Between him and the gas, the fire'll burn hot enough."</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Roight proper softie you are. Poor bloke's just as guilty as any of us, but you leave 'is death to me, yeah?"</em></p>
<p>"<em>Morrissey doesn't pay me enough that I can afford ditching my conscience."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Still here tho' innit?" He made a rude gesture at Daniel and chuckled quietly. "Go on then, I'll do the dirty work and let you think your conscience is clear."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Daniel worked his way around to the side of the steel structure and found a single door. He pulled a set of lockpicks free from his jacket when he heard several gunshots go off. He swore and instead pulled his pistol free and shot the lock on the door repeatedly until he could finally kick it open.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The room was filled to the brim with wooden crates, most of them sealed. A door on the other end of the room leading back into the house was open - whoever was in this room ducked out already. He shrugged and set about pouring gas all over the crates, stopping at the single open crate, overflowing with pokeballs. He knelt down and picked one up and stared at it. A small "S" was emblazoned on its button. He pocketed the ball and then poured the rest of the gas on the crate, then sent his arcanine out. The dog barked once and wagged his tail at him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Daniel smiled. "Torch it."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With another bark, the arcanine turned and shot a gout of flame out into the room. The crates erupted into an inferno and with a gesture, Daniel and the pokemon walked into the now quiet house. Daniel crossed through a war-torn living room and ruined entryway into a partially destroyed kitchen and let out a low whistle.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sulley stood near three corpses and cracked his neck with a groan. His shirt bore several holes.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>You alright?" asked Daniel.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Plate caught 'em. Everyfing all set?" asked Sulley.</em></p>
<p>"<em>Yeah. Should probably get out of here before we get boiled alive."</em></p>
<p>"<em>Roight. You hear that mate? Stand up and let's get off to see Morrissey or you're gonna be cookin'."</em></p>
<p>
  <em>A terrified, scrawny man with thick glasses dressed in a bathrobe stood up from behind the island in the kitchen, one arm raised and the other clutching at a bleeding wound in his side.</em>
</p>
<p>"<em>Thought you said we weren't taking him," said Daniel.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>At this, Sulley raised his pistol and shot the man. There was a soft thump and a wet choking sound from behind the island as the Galarian turned to Daniel and shrugged. "We weren't. You just showed up 'fore I was done."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Daniel shook his head and gestured towards the front door. "Get back to the car and check you didn't crack any ribs." As Sulley left, he turned back to the arcanine and said shortly, "Torch the place. Come back to the car when you're done."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The dog barked twice and then vomited an enormous stream of flame that set half the kitchen on fire.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>Daniel sat up in bed and groaned quietly. He hadn't thought about that job in years. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, then glanced at the digital clock on the wall. <em>4:23 am.</em> With another groan, he got carefully out of bed and covered Ana's naked figure with the sheet he'd likely kicked off during the dream and then set about groping in the dark for his boxers.</p>
<p>Once he'd found them, successfully bumping his head against the dresser in the process, he emerged from his bedroom swearing under his breath and thinking of a glass of water. The light mounted on his pistol, always with him at night even when getting up to take a piss, shone the way to the kitchen and then out into the front yard. He switched the light off and took a sip from his water.</p>
<p>The night air was still, cloudless and just barely cool. He took another sip of water and squinted into the distance, his eyes trying to catch figures moving in the distance. He blinked and they were gone. He woke up considerably and focused intently where the figures had disappeared and then found them again. In a smooth and slow motion, Daniel raised his pistol and turned the light on. A gumshoos and raticate stared back at him, some forty yards away, dazzled by the sudden bright light. With a sigh of irritation, he turned the light back off and waved the pokemon away.</p>
<p>"Maybe Ana had a point about going overboard here," he muttered.</p>
<p>"You think?"</p>
<p>Daniel rolled his eyes. "The hell you doing up this early, Eve?"</p>
<p>"Could ask you the same question. Feelin' bold too, huh?" She gestured to his current state of dress.</p>
<p>"Usually sleep in the buff, actually. This is just as a courtesy to everyone in the world not named Ana Prevost."</p>
<p>"Don't remember you sleeping naked back in Unova."</p>
<p>"Your name ain't Ana."</p>
<p>"Fair enough." She smiled and leaned against the house behind her. "<em>I</em>, on the other hand, always get to sleep naked."</p>
<p>"You're already always naked, who gives a fuck."</p>
<p>"Wonder how pokephiles deal with it."</p>
<p>Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You never asked one?"</p>
<p>"Why the hell would I?" asked Evelynn.</p>
<p>"I dunno, I figured you'd been around a shitload of them."</p>
<p>"I duped people using fat tits!"</p>
<p>"People didn't ask for <em>fuzzy </em>fat tits?"</p>
<p>Evelynn did her best to keep her laughter down. "Can't say anyone ever did. Not to me anyway. Another one of my kind stayed with Chast and everyone a while ago though, back when I was still running with them. Had some fun stories to swap, and she told me about someone that asked for exactly that."</p>
<p>"How'd that go?"</p>
<p>"I mean she was just robbing him so she went along with it. Said ever since she'd randomly do it when out wandering around just to see people get confused."</p>
<p>"Sounds like you've got even dirtier laundry than I do."</p>
<p>"I never killed any- well, I haven't killed nearly as many people as you. All of mine were because of fights for survival."</p>
<p>"And mine weren't?"</p>
<p>"You were a gangster!"</p>
<p>"People fight for their lives on either side of that line." Daniel finished his glass of water and shook his head. "Besides, like I said earlier, I never killed anyone that didn't deserve it."</p>
<p>"Even-"</p>
<p>"Yeah, even back then." He sighed. "But you might think otherwise. Dunno how big you are on being complicit in something. Or an accessory or sorts."</p>
<p>"Is this the job that Charles didn't want to go on?" asked the disguised zoroark.</p>
<p>"Yeah. Had to head to a place and take this guy out. Was making illegal modifications to pokeballs and Morrissey wanted him out of the picture." He leaned against the house. "I didn't take anyone out. I picked burn duty instead. Soaked the place and had Tai light it up."</p>
<p>"But you were still present and doing stuff while someone <em>else</em> was cleaning house?"</p>
<p>"Yep. Then I burned the place to the ground afterwards."</p>
<p>Evelynn frowned and made a low <em>tut</em> noise in her throat. "Barely better than murder but still not murder I guess."</p>
<p>"Glad the courts have decided to be so lenient today."</p>
<p>The zoroark smiled. "Yeah, well, I'd be a pretty big hypocrite if I stood here and acted like you can't change for the better. That's why I'm out here in the first place."</p>
<p>"Thought you were out here chasing a razor sharp dick."</p>
<p>Eve's smile widened. "That too."</p>
<p>Daniel groaned. "You weren't supposed to fucking agree."</p>
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